Door operating device



Feb. 7, 1933. c. RfHlLL noon OPERATING DEVICE Filed 001:. 28, 1930 \nuenior Clarence Hill Patented Feb. 7, 1933 1 UNITED STATES CLARENCE R. HILLQOF M'UASKEGON, MICHIGAN" DQOR OPERATING DEVICE Application filed october 28, 1930. Serial No. 491,710.

previously filed case dealing with doors- 1 which swing outwardly and the present case being concerned with doors which swing inwardly. Obviously, both types of construction have their particular uses, but the inwardly swinging doors are extremely desirable in the colder 'climes because snowfall hinders and oftentimes prevents the opening of outwardly swinging doors.

One aim of the present invention is to create a relatively simple structure which will be easy to install and which will function in an efficient manner and which will maintain the doors either in fully open or closed position, as desired.

Another aim or object is to so arrange the tensioning springs as to make them serve two purposes, i. e. maintain the door in closed position or.maintain the door in open position.

Still further objects or advantages subsidiary or incidental to the aforesaid objects,

or resulting from the construction or operation of the invention asit may be carried into effect, will become apparent as the said invention is hereinafter further disclosed;

In the drawing H 1 shows a plan view. partly in section, illustrating my improved door operating device as applied to a garage and showing the doors in open, closed and intermediate positions, and

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken along the plane of line 22 of Fig. 1.

Similar numerals represent similar parts throughout the two figures.

The invention is shown in connection with abuilding. such as a garage, havincg spaced vertical sides 2 with an open front a apted to be closed by hingedly mounted doors 3, 4 and 5, the doors 4 and 5being pivotally connected together. Doors 3 an d 5 are adapted to swing inwardly and the auxiliary door 4 is adapted to be received against the outer face of the-door 5 as clearly shown in-the dotted f line construction of'Fig. 1. A bracket member 6 is fixed to the vertical edge of the door 3 and the linkmember 7, consisting'of two spaced bars, see Fig. 2,'is pivotally connected thereto. The free end of the link 'Z is pivotedto the arm or rod 8, y this-rod being pivotally mounted at 9 upon the depending frame member 10,- rigid with the garage or building, and a spring Ilis fastened to the arm 8 as shown, the other end of the spring being attached to the frame 10. a w T hespring 11 tends to pull thearm 8 toward the door 3 and acting through the member 7. holds the door in its closed'position. 1

A rope or flexible element12is fastened to" the rod 8, extends around the .pulleys'or sheaves 13 and leads'to a point exterior ofthe building, thus allowing manipulation of the; doors from a point outside-of the-garage. The auxiliary door 4hasa bracket 16 attached thereto and a link 17. extends 'inwa'r'dly as shown, this link being. pivotally attached to the rod or arm 18, the member 18 being pivotally attached to the framememher 10, as at 19. A tension spring 21, similar. to the tension spring '11, acts upon the link 18 and a flexible element 22 extends around pulleys 23 to any desired pointwithin the garage. 'The ropes or fiexibleelements '12" and 22 are connected together as at 30. 1'

The connection just recited makes it possible for operation of-the doors to be controlled from either inside or outside of the garage. I The person desiring to open thedoors grasps either of the ropes and gives the same a short pull thus pulling-thearms 8 and-18inwardlyegainst the actions of the springs 11 and2l. respectively. Thelinks7 and 17'also travel inwardly and cause the doors 3, 4 and 5to be drawn inwardly. The freeiedge. of i the auxiliary door .4. is guided in a track-or the like in the ordinary manner, as is well known to those skilled in this art, and hence return to their original position, this motionv 7 being augmented by the springs 11 and '21.

part of their travel.

a The springs continue to act until the doors are positioned adjacent to either side of the garage as clearly shown in Fig. 1. When it is desired to close the doors the-flexible ele: ments are again pulled and the reverse operation takes place. I 1 7,

It has been determined that the momentum'of the swinging doors Will carry them through a considerable portion of the middle This is particularly true because of the position of the spring at this point which is acting largely against the pivot of the arm 18 and therefore exerts comparatively small effort. It is therefore only necessary to pull suificiently on the operating rope 12 or 22) to start the doors from i eitherclosed or open position andto give to them suflicientmomentum to carry them past 7 a mid-position after which the action of the springswill complete the movement.

While I have described a complete embodiment ofmy invention I do not wish to be 7 limited to the particular construction shown,

7 my invention being in fact limited solely by 40; r i. means connected with said arm wherebyzthe theattac'hed claims.

Iclaim: V s V 1. The combination with a hinged door ofmeans for opening or closing said door comprising, a swinging arm, means connectmg a' swinging portion of said arm-with a swingingportion of said door and spring 1 spring means Will be tensioned during the first partjof the'movement of the door in complete the sw nging movement ofthe door either an openingror closing direction and sald sprmgf-means W111 act upon said arm to in'eithe r of said directions. said arm being 1 adapted to liein substantially the same podoor'adapted to fold thereagainst, said aux iliarv' door having its free edgeguided, the

', combination of'a bracket fixed to the auxiliary door nearits hinged edge, a link extending laterally from the, door and being 7 --pivoted to the bracket, an arm pivoted: tame opposite end of the link, means for ,pivotally mounting thejother end of the arm, spring means acting upon said arm to maintain thedoors in either aclosed or open posit on, a' third door juxtaposed with its free edge adjacent the free edge of the auxil- Viarydoor, a second link pivoted to the third door adjacent' its ,free edge a second arm;

pivoted to the link, means for pivotally mounting the other end of the second arm,

3. In a building having an entrance opening, the'combination of, two'swinging doors pivotally mounted at either side of the opening and adapted to swing into the plane of the opening, a frame, two arms pivot-ally attached to the frame, tWo' links pivotally attached tothe free edges of the doors, means for pivotally connecting the free ends of each set; of links and arms, spring means acting upon said arms tendingto operate the i said doors, individual'fiexible' means leading from each of thearms; for the purposedescribed, means-for guiding the two-flexible means in parallelism a'short' distance, and

means for connecting the said parallel portions of the said'flexible means together for the purpose described.

whereof I affix my signature;

CLARENCE R. HILL.

In testimony 

